Bulldogs golf 3 wins from perfect season

At this point in the season, Turlock High’s Mary Krupka knows the little things can make the biggest impact.

“A tad off with your swing,” the veteran girls golf coach said, “can equate to a few more strokes added to your score each time it happens.”

However, her Bulldogs seem to be doing everything right.

On Tuesday afternoon at the Merced Golf & Country Club, they once again outplayed Golden Valley High, taking their seventh Central California Conference win of the season by 103 strokes (231-334). Hannah Gong, whom Krupka declared “has really developed her game and is playing some good golf,” led Turlock with a 5-over 42 and was supported by Emma Mendes’ 45, Kelsi Valenzuela’s 46, Darcy Woods’ 47 and Sofie Bates’ 51 in the nine-hole match.

“The gals are working hard on their games and our scoring is coming down to where we should be,” Krupka said.

Now, the competition gets even more difficult.

The Bulldogs return to the Merced golf course on Monday at 3 p.m. to face Merced High, Turlock’s closest competition. The last time the two teams met, Turlock escaped by just 18 strokes, a considerably close margin for the seven-time defending league champion — all of which under Krupka’s watch.

After that match, the Bulldogs have Atwater High on Tuesday before going up against Pitman High — which improved to 5-3 in the CCC after defeating Atwater High by 17 strokes this week, thanks to Sienna Samra’s 60 and Kristina David’s 61 — on Thursday of next week at Stevinson Ranch Golf Club, Pitman’s home course.

“We won’t take them lightly because we respect the progress they have made,” Krupka said about the Merced Bears before transitioning to the topic of her team’s crosstown rivalry meeting. “The same goes for our match against Pitman next week. Their golfers are really improving, so we need to stay focused and take care of business.”